Images

Photograph of the December 31, 1974, eruption from the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This early morning photo shows the lava fountains feeding the eruption and throwing lava bombs to 115–130 feet (35–40 meters) high. This eruption was very brief, lasting from 2:56 a.m. to around 8:50 a.m. USGS photo by Robin Holcomb.

As erupting fissures migrated down Kīlauea's southwest rift zone in September 1971 for the first time in 52 years, many spectators hiked into the Ka‘ū Desert for a closer view of the rare event. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park rangers patrolled the area on horseback to keep people a safe distance from the lava fountains. Photo courtesy of NPS.

Seaward sliding of Kīlauea's south flank over many thousands of years has resulted in large ground displacements along shallow faults that break the surface, as shown by the cliffs ("pali" in Hawaiian) seen here. Most of the movement along the faults occur during sudden slip that cause large earthquakes.

 HVO scientist measures the episode 12 lava fountain height at Mauna Ulu from Puʻu Huluhulu on Dec 30, 1969. The Mauna Ulu eruption marks its 51^st anniversary on May 24, 1969.

This lava fountain, which erupted on September 6, 1969, during the Mauna Ulu eruption, was about 540 m (1770 ft) tall. The tephra cone, eventually named Mauna Ulu, can be seen in the fallout area (right of the fountains. in middle of image). It is now a 121 m (397 ft) tall lava shield in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

The February 1969 rift eruption near Nāpau Crater was a brief but dynamic precursor to the long-lived Maunaulu eruption that began in May of that year. This week-long event featured lava fountaining from multiple fissures along a 2.5-mile stretch of Kīlauea’s upper East Rift Zone.

An aerial photo of a segment of the 1968 eruptive fissures in the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. A line of lava fountains is feeding a small lava channel on October 8, 1968, during the second day of this eruption. USGS photo taken by D. Swanson.

A telephoto image of vents erupting on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, in 1967. NPS photo by C. Stoughton.

An aerial overview of Halema‘uma‘u crater erupting in early December 1967. USGS image.

Earthquake report card from 1967 containing detailed information of personally observed effects from a M3.9 earthquake at the summit of Kīlauea. HVO staff distributed the report cards to local citizens between 1930 and 1989.

The 1961 fissure eruption near Nāpau Crater was a short-lived but notable event on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone, occurring in late September. Over two days, lava erupted from vents along a 13-mile stretch, producing 13 small flows and lava fountains that reached heights of up to 400 feet, with the largest flows occurring near Pāhoa.

The July 1961 eruption at Halemaʻumaʻu was the third summit eruption of that year, continuing the pattern of vigorous volcanic activity at Kīlauea. This event featured sustained lava fountaining and further infilling of the crater, building upon the changes initiated by the February and March eruptions.

View westward along the Kapoho fault scarp in the village of Kapoho following a swarm of earthquakes in the area. The ground cracking was caused by subsidence of a graben (down-dropped block) that spanned the community.

Great quantities of lava pour from the base of a 480-m-tall (1,575 ft) fountain about 65 minutes after the start of episode 16. Lava discharge at this time was about 1.3 million cubic meters per hour (1.7 million cubic yards), which sent lava over the entire lake by 4:05 a.m.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientists at the rim of Kīlauea volcano measuring variations in magnetic field strength in 1950. Photo by Ray E. Wilcox.

Photographs of the 1924 explosive eruptions from Halemaʻumaʻu. The photograph on the left is from the Uēkahuna bluff on May 18, 1924, by Kenichi Maehara. The photograph on the right is from near the present-day site of Volcano House on May 22, 1924, by Tai Sing Loo.

The founder of the Lassen Volcano Observatory (1926-1935) and second Director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (1940-1951), Ruy Herbert Finch conducted research in both Hawaii and throughout the Western United States.

This scene west of Halemaumau looks toward the rim of the caldera, southwest of Uēkahuna Bluff. New ballistic blocks and ash from the 1924 eruption coat the floor of the caldera.

Prior to the eruption of 1924, this area was swept clean and used as a landing field for airplanes. This view looking toward the north rim of Halemaumau shows the air field littered with ballistic blocks from explosions in the 1924 eruption.

This was probably the strongest explosion of the eruption. Rocks and debris fell among spectators southeast of Halemaumau, causing one fatality. A torrential downpour and an electrical storm followed.

Acting HVO director Ruy Finch snapped this photograph of spectators running away as large blocks were tossed about 600 meters (2000 feet) onto an airplane landing field. Lorrin A.